June 14, 2014

Victor Jesus Tehran Hammers Three Essentials for Turnarounds in Food Service

For five years Victor Jesus Tehran has been parachuting into food services, turning them around.

Maybe the restaurant has been receiving lousy reviews.

Maybe the cafeteria in the academic institution isn't earning a profit.

Maybe the owner of a catering service wants to bring it to the next level - elite. And hasn't been able to pull that off yet.

They contact Tehran. His signature has become what he calls the "Business Trinity." Those are the three factors he focuses on to work his miracles:

Customer Service

Employees

Product.

Tehran has never had any formal education or training in business. His schooling consisted of two years of culinary school.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

In customer service, he observes how the guests react when they enter the setting. Part of that is the interface between them and the employees. "In 90% of the time," reports Tehran, "customer service is the main problem. It has been going downhill for a while."

According to him, a customer will never tell you what's wrong. The exception would be if service is really bad and that's where you don't want to get to. So, Tehran puts the burden on himself to get a conversation going for the customer to begin going negative. Soon enough, the customer is pouring out details about what has been unsatisfactory.

Customer service is so important because, as Tehran stresses, "If guests feel they have been well served, in 75% of the cases they will forgive everything else."

EMPLOYEES

When it comes to the employees the usual situation is that they have not been properly trained. Tehran tries to help them keep their jobs. He ensures they receive the information they need. If they don't want to go with the new program, they won't. They will simply leave.

When it comes to employees, observes Tehran, "it's really binary. Either they will conform or they won't. More of a challenge is the owner. It's typical that the owner doesn't want to admit the situation is as troubled as it is."

PRODUCT

Most of the time the problem with the product comes down to money. The organization has to be willing to spend the money. If it isn't, Tehran won't accept the assignment. Customers can pick right up that the owner is cutting corners with quality.

Each item made and served, Tehran has found out, "must be done with love. For chefs, this must be a passion. The work is too hard for anyone to go into it just for the paycheck. In culinary school, those who left or were forced out lacked that passion."

After the turnaround, Tehran remains about a month. On his watch list is that no one in the loop, ranging from owner to chef to wait staff, create any new bad habits.